5 Great Ways to Decrease Your Intensity and Get Less Out of Your Workout

You’re working out 5 or 6 times a week to no avail. You spend hours on the treadmill each week, you persevere through the rotation on every single piece of equipment at the gym, you do every workout. It’s just not working! You don’t see muscles forming or fat melting, just wasted time and effort. If you want to continue down this road I would highly suggest you do the following:

Eat poorly: Too much, not enough, or crappy food will inhibit your workout more than you can imagine. Depending on your digestive system, eat an hour or two prior to your workout so your body is running as efficiently as possible. A good pre-workout snack might be an ounce or two of chicken, an apple and a few almonds. Pretty simple. If you’re not eating well, you won’t see results.

Sleep poorly: If you’re not sleeping well or enough you are greatly affecting your workouts (and your life). Sleep in a quiet, dark room, as the slightest light can keep you from getting your deepest sleep. Wear an eye mask if you must, maybe some ear plugs would help, whatever it takes to decrease light and sound. Take time to relax prior to bed, going from computer or television to bed does not allow your brain to calm and quiet itself. Do some stretching and mobility work prior to bed time, going to bed with a stiff back and neck won’t allow you to rest comfortably.

Bring a water bottle: I know this sounds nice and responsible after all, you want to stay hydrated during a workout right? No, you want to stay hydrated ALL DAY and give every second of your workout the intensity and attention it deserves. Think of a water bottle like a blankie during a workout—it’s only there for comfort and it leads to distraction. Maybe I sound like a crazy person, but I want to just kick everyone’s water bottles across the room and watch as they take a minute or two off their workout time.

Complain: Yeah, that’ll help. Think lots of negative thoughts. Tell me how sore you are. Tell me you can’t do it. NOT. If you think you can’t do it, you can’t. Just focus on the task at hand and get to work.

Spend hours in the gym: My suggestion to you would be to spend no more than 40 minutes in the gym. Don’t think you can do it all in 40 minutes? Then move faster.

If you don’t leave a workout feeling tired, you didn’t work hard enough. Increasing your intensity will increase your results and success. That’s not a suggestion, that’s reality. I challenge you to leave the gym feeling completely spent today, and tomorrow, and the day after that and watch as you become healthier, stronger, and faster.